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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NUI) - Kids always seem to be hungry - a perfectly normal situation. Growing bodies need a constant supply of energy and nutrients for proper development. It's seldom a problem getting kids to eat. The hard part is getting them to make healthy food choices. For working parents, this is especially difficult for afternoon snacks. Yet, along with well-balanced meals, smart snacking can help ensure children and teens alike meet their needs.
A good way to encourage kids to choose fewer fatty and sweet snack foods is to keep an appealing assortment of more healthful foods on hand. If you stock the 'fridge and cabinets with nutritious foods they like, your offspring will be less likely to eat foods that supply few nutrients for the calories they contain. Based on the Food Guide Pyramid, a good selection might include any of these foods:
* whole-grain bagels and breads, breadsticks, cornbread, crackers, English and fruit muffins, ready-to-eat cereals, pita breads, pretzels, rolls and buns, tortillas
* applesauce, canned and dried fruits, fresh fruits, fruit butters, fruit cups, fruit juices
* cut vegetables -; such as broccoli florets, carrot sticks, sweet potato slices - greens; pizza, spaghetti and taco sauce; salsa; vegetable juices
* cheese cubes, slices and sticks; cottage cheese; milk; pudding cups; yogurt
* garbanzo or other beans, hard-cooked eggs, lean cooked meat or poultry slices, canned or pouched tuna and salmon, peanut butter
Once you've stocked up, invest a little time to give your kids the skills they need to healthfully satisfy their snack cravings. Children are more likely to enjoy foods they've made themselves, especially when they're introduced to new foods. So, show your kids how to combine ingredients to make a balanced snack and teach them simple recipes. Since early eating habits tend to follow us through life, learning kitchen skills can help your family members eat well for their rest of their lives.
Peanutty Egg Salad Sandwiches are an easy way to start out budding chefs. If you keep hard-cooked eggs on hand, all but the very youngest of your kitchen novices will find the sandwiches simple to make. With bread, veggies, eggs and peanut butter, the one-bowl recipe combines familiar, comforting foods representing three different food groups of the Pyramid. A glass of milk and some fresh fruit is all your 'starving' youngsters will need to add to round out a well-balanced snack or light meal.
See www.aeb.org for step-by-step instructions for hard-cooked eggs and more quick-and-easy recipes.
Peanutty Egg Salad Sandwiches
2 sandwiches
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
2 tablespoons shredded carrot
2 tablespoons finely chopped
celery
1 tablespoon reduced-fat
mayonnaise
3 tablespoons reduced-fat
peanut butter
4 slices whole-wheat bread
In small bowl, stir together eggs, carrot, celery and mayonnaise until well blended. Cover and chill to blend flavors. Spread about 2 teaspoons peanut butter on each slice of bread. Spread about 1/3 cup of the egg mixture on each of two bread slices, cover with remaining bread, peanut butter side down. If desired, cut sandwiches into quarters.
Nutrition information per serving of 1/2 recipe: 376 calories, 18 gm total fat, 213 mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 250 mg potassium, 40 gm carbohydrate, 18 gm protein and 10% or more of the RDI for vitamin A, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, phosphorus, zinc, dietary fiber
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